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BUILDING MATERIAL. (Appnmim med mr. 2,1900.)

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BUILDING MATERIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patient No. 650,824, dated-I 5,

.Application tiled March 2, 1900. Serial No. 7,058. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, J AMES B.-CoTro1\i, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dayton, in'the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Building Material; and Ido declare the following'to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon,which form a part this specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in buildingmaterial, and comprises a specially-constructed building-block and meansfor cementing or uniting such blocks to form one continuous solid wall,which may or may not be provided throughout with Ventilating-openings.

The object of the invention is to provide a building-block which closelyresembles freestone in appearance and approximates or equals granite inpoint of durability.

To these ends the invention comprises means hereinafter described inconnection with the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is anelevation of a portion of a Wall constructed of building-blocks inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of twoadjacent blocks,show ing the manner of uniting said blocks. Fig. 3 is avertical section on the line d ct of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a verticalsection showing the manner of applying the anchor-rods that are usuallyemployed in brick or stone structures; Figs. 5 vand G, sectional viewsshowing the manner of providing a continuous opening through thecontinuous cement joints for ventilating the wall. Figs. 7, S, and 9 areplan views of the adjacent ends of blocks, showing modifications in themanner of uniting the ends thereof.

The building-block l is constructed o f cement, preferably Portlandcement, and is molded or pressed in suitable dies or molds and given anydesirable ornamental surface,\vhich in the present instance is beveledod at the four edges. In each of said blocks there is one or moreopenings 2eXtending through said blocks,and the upper and lower ends ofwhich are flaring or enlarged in funnel shape and the central part ofwhich is narrow or contracted, so that a suitable entrance-,space isprovided for the cement to pass in and through said openings. When theblocks are placed one upon the other in constructing a wall, theseopenings 2 are in a vertical line with each other, and in laying theblocks cement of a thin or semiliquid consistency is poured therein aseach block is laid, as above set forth. In pouring the cement in theseopenings 2 it may be agitated by means of a suitable implement, and thisenables the cement to gravitate through said openings and enter thespace between the adjacent upper and lower blocks and fill said spaceand openings, thus firmly uniting the blocks from top to bottom of thewall. The ends of said blocks are provided with vertical openings 3,which may be constructed in a variety of ways, some ot' which are shownin Figs. 2, 7, 8, and 9, or the adjacent ends of the blocks may beconstructed in any way that embodies the prin-v ciple of a male andfemalejoint. These end openings 3 do not extend in a vertical linethrough the entire wall, as in the case of the openings 2, but, on thecontrary, the ends thereof are closed by upper and lower blocks. Thesemiliquid cement is poured between the adjacent ends of the blocks andallowed to enter and till these openings 3, and when said cement sets orbecomes hardened there is formed a series of dowels which i'rmly unitethe ends of the blocks against any possible lateral movement. When theblocks are thus laid in the construction of a wall, it will be observedthat each block does not depend for its security on the mortar or cementas usually applied between the faces of bricks, but, on thecontrary,have cement bars, so to speak, which extend throughl them attwo points in the body of each block and also which securely unites theends of said blocks to form one conti nuous horizontal rovir of blocksmhioh practically become in point' Vof vrgiditylone continuous sill andwhich have allthe advantages in point of durability of the vcostly stonethat is used in the constructionofv the more expensive buildings.

As the construct-ion is shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 there is an air spaceor opening 6 extending through the cement in openings 2, and by means ofwhich the walls may obtain ventilation. The tube 5 is tirst placed inthe openings 2 as each block is laid, and thus forms a core, aroundwhich the cement is placed. When the cement has become hardened, thistube or core is Withdrawn, thereby forming the air chambers or fiues G,which extend down to the foundation to counteract the climatic changeson the outside, and thus prevent the Walls from becoming damp.

ner in which the anchor-rods 4 may be applied bypassing them through thecontinuous air-space 6. The anchor-rods 4 are tightened by means of nutsusually applied to said rods.

lIavinfr described 1n invention I claiml. The herein describedbuilding-block, consisting ot' a cement block having recesses formed inthe ends thereof adapted to receive semiliquid cement by means of whichthe adjacent ends of said blocks are doweled, and the bodies of saidblocks having one or more openings therein ofa funnel-shape struci turewhich are adapted to receive semiliquid cement, the said funnel-shapedopenings forming continu ons openings extending from the top to thebottom of a Wall and by means of which a continuous body of cement maybe placed to rigidly secure said blocks from top to bottom of a Wall,and air-spaces formed in said cement bodies, substantially as described.

-2. The herein-described building material, comprising an oblongrectangular block of cement, having one or more openings 2 in the v bodythereof, the upper and lower ends of Referring to Fig. 4, thisillustrates the mansaid openings being enlarged and the central portionof said openings being contracted, the said openings being adapted toreceive cement in a semiliquid form whereby there is obtained in theconstruction of a Wall one or more continuous bodies of cement passingthrough said blocks and extending from the upper to the lower portion ofsaid wall, and air-spaces G formed in said cement bodies, substantiallyas and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES B. COTTOM.

\Vitnesses:

R. J. MCCARTY, R. R. NEVIN.

